Volume MMVI • Number 2 • April-June 2006 - Nashville Musicians ...

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22 The Nashville Musician April-June 2006 Like back porch pickin’ and singin’ . . . Concert Review By WALT TROTT Keep it simple and close to the ground, that’s what Jesse McReynolds and Mac Wiseman did, sharing the bill at the Station Inn here, March 16. The pair’s performance provided a packed house an evening of acoustic bluegrass, country and even Americana, thanks to guest artists Curly Seckler and John Prine. If anyone tells you the best bluegrass comes from Kentucky natives, better remind them that Mac and Jesse are Virginia boys (no pun intended, Jesse). Both are also members of the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Honor. Welcoming the patrons was Station Inn proprietor-musician J. T. Gray, looking fit as a fiddle after a recent illness. Incidentally, the Station Inn may serve beer, but it’s not a honky tonk, and Gray has even outlawed smoking there the past three years. Opening the show was McReynolds, 76, whose greatest fame came as half of the classic Jim & Jesse Grand Ole Opry brother duo. Assisted by guitarist Steve Thomas (an alumnus of The Whites and The Osborne Brothers), Jesse’s innovative “cross picking” mandolin style was superbly showcased on such instrumentals as “Night Runner,” and worked equally well with his singing of Jim Anglin’s weepy “What About You?” Introducing the bluegrass standard “In the Pines,” Jesse pointed out that he performed it on the first album he cut after Jim’s death three years ago (“New Horizons”). Steve matched tasty backup pickin’ on guitar, with some spicy spotlight solos. Another McReynolds’ fan favorite was his composition “Someone To Love.” Jesse’s lonesome, soulful “You’ll Find Her Name Written There” boasted a melody not unlike “The House Of the Rising Sun,” coupled to a haunting refrain. Wiseman, recovering from a recent pacemaker implant, accepted an assist from some burly aficionados in mounting the stage, quipping, “It’s no disgrace to get old, but it’s sure as hell inconvenient!” Then alluding to the previous set, noted, “I’m gonna try and get over Steve and Jesse . . . they laid out some pretty mean stuff!” Despite the recent setback, Mac didn’t need to take second seat to anyone that evening. Once settled onto his perch, this wise old owl acknowledged a standing ovation by the appreciative crowd: “Better watch that applause. You may not be able to get rid of me tonight!” He lit into what has become one of his trademark tunes “I Wonder How the Old Folks Are At Home,” proving his unique tenor was as robust as ever. Accompanying himself on guitar, the veteran vocalist’s pickin’ style was still as rhythmic, despite a sore pickin’ finger (no doubt aggravated further after nearly two hours’ performing), adding zest to the solid selection of songs. Wiseman recalled he first played his next number - Jimmie Davis’ “Shackles and Chains” - on a morning radio show, greeting early risers: “Gettin’ up early wasn’t hard, because I grew up on a l’il old scratch farm where when my Daddy got up, it was - Patricia Presley photo Mac Wiseman boasts big ballad repertoire. Jesse McReynolds’ great cross pickin’ style. time for everybody to get up!” Mac first recorded “Shackles . . . ” solo in the 1950s, then two decades later redid it with the Osborne Brothers. His ability to integrate non-bluegrass songs into the genre so convincingly was again demonstrated with a rousing take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me & Bobby McGee.” Interestingly, Mac’s choice of the Vernon Dalhart classic “The Prisoner’s Song” seemed especially apropos as it sold several million records the year (1925) he was born, spending 12 weeks #1 on the popular music charts. No doubt, it sounded like a new song to younger patrons in the house. Summoning Steve and Jesse back on stage, the trio lit into “I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight” with Mac pleading “down and dirty!” Hailed as “The Voice With a Heart,” Mac appeared to be covering all the bases, next tackling the 1935 million-selling Gene Autry (and Jimmy Long) song “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine.” Mac vowed equal time for mothers, as he caressed lyrics to the 1940s’ ballad “Rockin’ Alone In An Old Rockin’ Chair,” recorded by both Clyde Moody and Eddy Arnold. Noting he was cutting an album of war songs, Wiseman sang the inspiring “Boys in Blue.” Old songs, he said, “have such longevity . . . but it makes you feel a little bit like a dinosaur when you record ’em.” “Old Shep,” popularized by Red Foley; “Bringing Mary Home,” about a ghostly passenger; and another almost his own, “Tis Sweet To Be Remembered,” proved crowd pleasers. Introducing 2004 Bluegrass Hall of Honor inductee Curly Seckler, who had worked separately with Mac (WCYB- Bristol) and Jesse (Smoky Mountaineers, WGAC-Augusta, Ga.), was especially a thrill for bluegrass fans. Acknowledging the terrific preceding show, Curly boomed, “Both of them were just like a Martha White biscuit: Goodness gracious they’re good!” Like Mac, vocalist-mandolinist Curly was one of Flatt & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys, and later inherited leadership of Lester Flatt’s band The Nashville Grass, when the bossman departed. Jokingly, Curly recalled, “Lester used to say I didn’t pick it too good, but he liked the way I held it.” Playing Steve’s guitar while reaching back into his memory bank, Curly chose “Salty Dog Blues,” ably aided by Jesse. In response to demands for more, Curly covered “Moonlight On My Cabin,” initially recorded on King Records by pal Hawkshaw Hawkins in 1947. Thomas and Wiseman came back on mic for “Someday We’ll Meet Again, Sweetheart.” Another harmonic blending of voices occurred for the #1 Delmore Brothers’ classic “Blues Stay Away From Me.” Throughout the evening, Mac was besieged by a persistent fan requesting his 1959 Top Five Billboard single “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy,” at first declaring facetiously, “Never heard of him!” Hearing his version at Station Inn, it was easy to see why he’d scored so well reviving the Carter Family gem. Yet another request came for “Love Letters in the Sand,” which Mac recorded at Dot prior to labelmate Pat Boone’s hit pop version. Acknowledging the presence of Grammy award-winning John Prine, Mac proclaimed, “What a versatile young man this is!” After he stood to take a bow, the audience wasn’t about to let him sit down. With a little coaxing from Mac (who recently recorded with him) and Jesse, who covered John’s dramatic ballad “Paradise” (with the writer’s assist), Prine took the stage. A cancer survivor, Prine’s a remarkable entertainer whose compositions include “Angel From Montgomery” (recorded by Bonnie Raitt), “Hello In There” (Bette Midler), “Unwed Fathers” (Tammy Wynette) and “I Just Want To Dance With You” (George Strait). Jesse remembered them doing “Paradise” in Prine’s studio, “and I think we did it on the Grand Ole Opry.” “Daddy won’t you take me/Back to Muhlenberg County/Down by the Green River/Where paradise lay?/Well, I’m sorry my son/But you’re too late in asking/Mr. Peabody’s coal train, has hauled it away.” Not too shabby for a Chicago area boy, who was a mailman while awaiting his big break -Patricia Presley photo Curly Seckler of IBMA Hall of Honor. in showbiz. Stepping up to the mic, John tore into his unique “Glory of True Love” (off his winning album “Fair & Square”), with its romantic imagery, augmented this time by Jesse’s driving mandolin riffs. Although the balladeer thought he’d done enough, Station Inn’s assemblage wouldn’t hear of him darting off without an encore. And what a delight it was: “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,” a lament that left listeners well-satisfied. Sans Mac, Jesse and Steve performed “The Last Rose of Summer,” as the evening headed into its final turn. Mac returned with fervor, adding to the night’s dynamic finale “Keep On the Sunny Side,” yet another Carter Family favorite. It’s worth mentioning that in addition to Seckler and Prine, others spotted in the crowd included bluegrass producer Scott Rouse; Led Zeppelin keyboardist/bassist John Paul Jones; Dan Hays. IBMA executive director; Grand Ole Opry fan club president Glenn Thompson; and promoter Frank Oakley, videotaping the performance. That could be a brisk seller if Prine added his permission. As a great writer once observed, all’s well that ends well. A members’ reminder Attend the next General Membership Meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11, in Local 257’s George Cooper, Jr. Hall. John Prine, recent Grammy Award winner. Alabama’s Cook returns with new partner Glenn By WALT TROTT One of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s newest members, Alabama’s Jeff Cook, was at CRS-37 with youthful Mitch Glenn, among the wannabe country acts currently vying for country radio’s attention. “Yes, I am. Imagine that!,” exclaims Cook. Handing us a “DJ Preview” five-song CD, he introduced personable North Carolina bachelor Glenn, 31, a singer-songwriterguitarist, as his new music partner. “Hopefully, we’re doing some stuff that’s gonna catch on,” explains Cook, 56. “But whether anything happens with this or not, we’re having a lot of fun at what we’re doing.” Ironically, it was at the Country Radio Seminar that Alabama gained their major label pact with RCA, signing April 11, 1980, after having scored minor successes on indies GRT and MDJ. Cook-Glenn were taking advantage of their Nashville visit to seek out some hitcaliber material from Music Row’s finest: “I’m still writing and Mitch writes. So we can draw off of that and we also have some really good songs being pitched to us. Until we actually cut ’em, I prefer not to mention those right now . . . Yeah, we’re workin’ on it, every opportunity we can. We probably need about seven more cuts.” Mitch notes how they met: “I ran into a mutual friend and we asked Jeff to come up and sing a part on a solo project I was doing, and when Jeff kinda started singing, our voices really had magic together. We became friends from there. He is a mentor, as I grew up listening to Alabama.” In Jeff’s eyes, the younger sandy-haired performer shows real promise. Mitch adds, “I play guitar, rhythm guitar, and I sing. You know, I’m having fun with this guy. I’m blessed, that’s for sure.” Jeff says the new country-rock project with Glenn reminds him of Young Country (which later morphed into the Grammy Award-winning Alabama with Jeff, Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Mark Herndon), back in their Myrtle Beach, S.C. days. “Yeah, it sort of gets the adrenalin flowing again like back then,” grins Cook. “It’s something new and fresh. You’ve heard the old saying, ‘I wish I knew then what I know now,’ well this is then - and I already know it. Does that make any sense? The fact that I have a history in the music business, I’ll know things to do and not do, and maybe we won’t make as many mistakes as we did the first time around.” How does his fellow Alabama members feel about his new project? (Continued on page 29)
April-June 2006 The Nashville Musician 23 Todays’ BlackHawk: Local 257’s Dave Robbins, Anthony Crawford and Henry Paul. BlackHawk, flying independent By WALT TROTT BlackHawk’s swooping down on us again with a new release that reveals the band in all its redefined splendor. “A Better Hello” ships to radio April 24, the first single from the award-winning group’s forthcoming album “Voices,” due next summer. “We have eight songs on this CD that we co-wrote,” says lead singer-guitarist Henry Paul, during an interview at the recent Country Radio Seminar. “Then we have four outside songs we’ve included, not because we needed them, but because we loved them,” adds keyboardist/ singer Dave Robbins. Robbins was referring to the fact that he and co-members Paul and new recruit Anthony Crawford are writers, as well as singer-musicians, who continue to hone their craft. “We all help each other creatively,” notes Robbins. “It’s as exciting as though it were the first time.” BlackHawk has been charting hits since 1993 when the trio consisted of Paul, Robbins and Van Stephenson, who died of leukemia on April 8, 2001. As label chief at Arista, former co-writer Tim DuBois signed the trio whose first Billboard charting “Goodbye Says It All” debuted as a near-Top 10. Its follow-up “Every Once In a While,” a collaborative composition by Van, Dave and Henry, peaked at #2 in 1994. Their self-titled ’94 debut album sold more than two million units (charting 131 weeks), while “Strong Enough,” their sophomore album, went platinum. BlackHawk’s revealing three-part harmonies and cutting-edge recordings made them a fan favorite. With Top 10 hits such as “Sure Can Smell the Rain,” “Down In Flames” and “That’s Just About Right,” they won the TNN/Music City News’ best new act of 1995. Their second CD spawned a pair of Top Five singles, “I’m Not Strong Enough To Say No” and “Like There Ain’t No Yesterday,” and yet a third hit “Almost a Memory Now.” BlackHawk’s last major charting thus far, “There You Have It” (#4, 1998), flew off their “The Sky’s the Limit” album and also soared into play as a Top 40 pop hit. Following Van Stephenson’s death, Paul and Robbins co-wrote an inspiring tribute tune “Spirit Dancer” (with Jim Peterik), which served as title to their ’02 Sony/Columbia album, and gave them their final Top 40 single to date, “Days Of America,” also penned by Paul and Robbins (with Lee Miller). “We knew we had to write a song for Van to honor his memory,” Dave confides, having helped create such poignant lyrics as “I feel him singing every once in a while/ He’s right beside us every mile we go/Every town, every show . . .” According to Paul, “A Native American friend who is an interpretive dancer comes out and dances when we do that song now.” Assisting for a time with high harmony was Randy Threet, also BlackHawk’s longtime bassist, prominent on the “Spirit Dancer” CD. (He and Chris Anderson have since joined The Outlaws.) So what happened to BlackHawk’s promising Sony pact? “Politics,” replies Paul. “They changed creative people at the top . . . ” “Just like at Arista,” interjects Robbins, recalling the shakeup where Arista was absored by parent company BMG/RCA- Nashville. “There’s no bitterness nor cycnicism with our look in the rearview mirror,” insists Henry. “All of that was great. It’s better now . . . and all the pressure’s off.” The group fell into a sort of malaise for a time, muses Paul, “We lost our way to a certain extent. We played more of a maintenance role in our career for three or four years. We couldn't quite find the time, or we never got a handle on the creative process to reinvent ourselves musically and lyrically, or from the standpoint of songs or sound.” BlackHawk also used to total seven pieces, explains Paul, “When we stripped back all of the musical veneer and got down to the base wood musically of the group, that’s when the music personality started to really develop. Then, as we put more pressure on ourselves individually as artists, the performance level started to elevate to the point where as a five-piece band, with all due respect to our larger group, we get a lot more from a lot less.” Adding their input musically, Crawford points out, are Kirk Eberhard, bassist; and Mike Bailey on drums, “Our token Irishman.” “Dave’s keyboard is almost like our saving grace, because it gives us so much musical latitude,” maintains Paul. “Anthony’s and my guitars sort of drive the horses - and the buggy’s loaded with plenty of musical goodies.” At the indie Rust Records, BlackHawk feels once again they’re a top priority and worked hard to prep a comeback: “We’ve been doing this with Anthony two-and-ahalf years,” Henry explains. “It took all that time to get it down. I knew we liked the guy, and I knew I loved his voice from the moment I first heard it 15 years ago. But, getting to the part where we started making advancement as artists, singer-songwriters, record makers, that happened after 18-to- 24 months of fishing, we finally found the hole. “Now we’re sort of on that roll where we know what one another’s thinking musically,” he continues. “We may not know what it’s gonna sound like, but we know they’ve got something up their sleeve. I feel we’re really having success now artistically.” Robbins relates, “I guess to hang with us to begin with, you’ve got to be a little nuts. So we got Anthony, and he fit like a glove. It’s important for us as a trio to sing together, to write together and to perform together. So we looked for someone that creative. I didn’t know Anthony at all, but once we got into working with him, we found out all these things that he does. He’s amazing, he plays a lot of instruments, he knows how to engineer, he’s a great songwriter. He’s very talented.” According to Anthony, formerly a player with Stevie Winwood and Neil Young, “Henry’s been my friend for years and years. I met Dave through Henry and when we sang together, it was a no-brainer. I’ve never sung with two other people that got that blend where everybody’s got an internal sense of pitch that defies most musical groups, and the musicality is way above average for a five-piece band. So they’re getting a lot of bang for the buck. I like exciting music and being a part of that. They don’t hold me down, so I love it.” Robbins wrote songs for such notables as Laura Branigan, Eric Clapton, Poco and Dan Seals, and collaborated with Van Stephenson to write hits for Restless Heart, Kenny Rogers and finally BlackHawk. At the time of the interview, BlackHawk was scheduled for a tour with Restless Heart and Little Texas. Joshing, Paul grins, “Dave and I are going to sing the hits he, Van and I wrote for them, before they come out on stage.” Paul originally gained recognition heading up his own Top 40 band, and then guided the 1970s’ Southern rock band The Outlaws to success with such melodic memories as “There Goes Another Love Song.” Was it a major stretch shifting to songs for a country band like BlackHawk? “No, not at all. When you think about it, what we were doing then is what this town’s doing now,” replies Paul, smiling wryly. “This was the only place I could come to and do what I enjoy best: sing, write and play acoustic and electric guitars. I think the concept of three-part harmony vocals as I perceived it, from The Springfields to The Byrds, is that kind of template. That vocalguitar driven sound, that’s what this is in a large part.” Texan tries his wings abroad By WALT TROTT “Caution! Contains real country music!” That’s a warning on the “Todd Fritsch” debut CD, and the Texan’s tracks live up to the warning. The rugged rancher-turned-singer may not be as hungry as some wannabes haunting Music Row for an opportunity to show what they’ve got talentwise, but his desire’s just as strong. Todd’s first singles “I’ve Got Mexico” and “Small Town Radio” did fine on the Texas music charts, hit R&R’s new and active list, and even made inroads overseas. But the real-life cowboy says he won’t breathe easy until, “I’m kickin’ some butts on the Billboard chart. That would be a satisfactory goal for me.” Fritsch, 24, was struttin’ his stuff during CRS-37, playing a showcase at The Stage, doing a Welcome To Texas gig (with acts like The Derailers and Ryan James), and meeting media, immediately after returning from a five-country European concert tour. “The people over there just embrace every minute of the show and they want to hear it come from your heart,” recalls Fritsch. “We had sell-out crowds, probably the biggest may have hit 2,500 at the an- Todd with Jo and David Frizzell. nual Country Music Messe in Berlin. It was in a big arena. We also played the Euro- Disney Village and just packed the place (Billy Bob’s Saloon) there in France (Marne la Vallee).” Accompanying Todd was his producer and co-writer Doug DeForest, who backed him on bass. Besides Germany and France, they also performed in Switzerland, The Netherlands and Belgium. For most shows, Fritsch was opening act, “but the last night of our tour in Belgium (Namur’s Casino Club), they featured me as headliner, with a European opener. I did two 35-minute sets. They were so responsive, it was a thrill. I couldn’t believe it. I did my album songs and some covers, as well. They all love Merle Haggard, George Strait and Bob Wills.” In Nashville, Todd had earlier played The Stage when we did our interview: “It was my first time to do it. Craig Morgan, Jason Aldean and Jeannie Kendall were there, and also Neal McCoy. Me and Neal started talkin’ Texas stuff, and were pretty chummy. Neal’s got a new indie label 903 Music and he’s aware I’m part owner of DMG Records, and what I’m doing . . . We’re both Texas boys trying to get somethin’ happening.” Eddy Raven wrote (with Frank Myers) and recorded “I Got Mexico,” which scored #1 in 1984: “I was real scared of the Eddy Raven thing. Sheila, his wife, e-mailed, requesting two CDs. I thought, ‘Oh, here we go!’ But Eddy paid me the best compliment. We made ‘Mexico’ more fun, Mexican-style with a faster tempo. I tried not to do ’em (he also covered Mel Street’s ‘Walk Softly On the Bridges’) like the original artists. I didn’t want to hear someone say, ‘Aw man, he sounded just like Eddy Raven or Mel Street.’” The third single off his album, Brian Burns’ “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” has been giving good feedback: “It’s a big ballad and we think it’s a fine follow-up.” Even prior to meeting CRS radio folk, Fritsch had visited some 200 stations: “I’m always thankful when I get in because that means someone gets to hear us. I usually just do a little ol’ acoustic thing. I hear there’s some 600 stations playing us.” For “Small Town Radio” he recorded over 150 customized versions of the song, so listeners got the idea it was about their hometown station. Todd co-wrote the number with Doug: “The thing we wanted to get across was that all of us share ties to our community. It did good for us, opening a lot of doors and got my name out there.” Todd first met Doug when he was cutting some demos in Houston, then he went up to Drasco, Ark., where DeForest has his own studio and recorded an album. Next thing Todd knew Doug was hooking him up to veteran Joe Bob Barnhill (of the Nashville Sound Company), who now co-manages the newcomer: “I’m happy to have him on my team. Joe Bob and I just co-wrote a song yesterday. It’s another swing song.” Fritsch is really into Bob Wills’ Western Swing sound, though the Texas Playboy died years before Todd was born. On his CD is Doug’s “The Bob Wills Song,” which proved especially popular overseas: “It spent five weeks on top of the charts over there.” Todd hails from Willow Springs, Texas, (Continued on page 25)
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